The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to materials, systems, organisms, and methods for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., cold, salinity, drought, wind), increasing biomass, and/or altering lignin composition in plants. For example, enhancing abiotic stress tolerance may be achieved using a plant-specific family of transcription factors is APETALA2 (AP2), that includes c-repeat binding factor (e.g., CBF1, CBF3) and AP37 nucleic acids and/or polypeptides. In some embodiments, increasing biomass may be achieved by altering expression of gibberellin oxidases (e.g., GA3ox3/GA2ox4) nucleic acids and/or polypeptides. Altering lignin composition may be achieved by suppression of stem-thickening in pith (e.g., STP1) nucleic acids and/or polypeptides.
